Work

Dish swap across a weekly menu can deliver health and sustainability gains

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A weekly canteen menu comprising 15 dishes (3 dishes × 5 days) has 1.4 million unique configurations. Here food choice was monitored over four weeks ( ~ 5,000 meals) in a UK university residence. Without students noticing, mathematically optimized menus achieved 30.7% and 6.3% reductions in carbon footprint and saturated fatty acid intake, respectively. This demonstrates the potential of strategic menu manipulation to benefit health and the environment, without the need for recipe changes.

Source: Nature Food

DOI: 10.1038/s43016-025-01218-8

Authors: Annika N. Flynn, Taro Takahashi, Alex Sim, Jeffrey M. Brunstrom

Institutions: University of Bristol, Agri Food and Biosciences Institute, National Institute for Health and Care Research, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West

Language: English

Topic: Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Zero hunger, Climate action, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $12,690